Belectric’s solar farm co-located storage approved for Germany’s frequency regulation market

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

A large-scale storage system co-located at a German solar farm by the PV plant’s developer Belectric, has been given the green light to operate in the grid-balancing frequency response market.

The Energy Buffer Unit (EBU) at Alt Daber solar farm, Brandenburg, can now contribute to providing frequency control in Germany’s high voltage grid. The project added 2,000kWh of Belectric’s containerised battery storage system to 67.8MW of ground mounted solar.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Belectric’s Tim Mueller told PV Tech Storage earlier this year that the company decided to add the energy storage in order to provide new revenue streams while demonstrating that the batteries could help stabilise the grid and could adequately replace fossil fuel generators in this respect.

“We were thinking, what would be possible commercially and what would also be necessary?

“We found out that for the moment the biggest problem is not to shift energy, rather to stabilise the grid; this is something that is a bit ahead but we will need that in the next couple of decades or even the next few years,” Mueller said.

The Alt Daber-based EBU has been cleared by 50 Hertz, the transmission network operator (TNO), to provide 1.3MW of frequency response. According to Belectric the certification process required some rethinking of parameters appropriate to batteries with some of the testing developed specifically for this installation.

Belectric has taken the news as a victory for storage, claiming the TNO’s approval is evidence that “battery storage improves the safety of transmission network operation, even during heavy fluctuations like a generator or interconnector trip”.

Frequency regulation in Germany is provided on a weekly tender basis, with available resources and service providers pooled. In the case of Alt Daber, Swedish company Vattenfall is contracted to manage the system and market its capabilities to the primary operating reserve market, while Belectric will continue to own it. In February Belectric announced it is trialling a similar model in Britain led by the National Grid, which is responsible for the UK network.

EBU is lead acid based and its production is standardised to keep costs as low as possible. Belectric is selling EBU at an upfront cost for the unit of around €560,000 (US$625,000) for a device with 948kWh storage capacity. Interestingly, at Energy Storage Europe earlier this year, the company publicly advertised EBU’s price, an unusual step at an event where rival storage providers kept even this detail closely guarded.

Read Next

September 11, 2025
The EBRD has launched a new programme to improve access to green financing and support energy investments such as renewable power projects.
September 11, 2025
Constant Energy has secured THB300 million (US$9.4 million) in green financing from HSBC to expand large-scale solar and battery storage projects in Thailand. 
September 11, 2025
US cell manufacturer ES Foundry is proceeding with expansion plans despite a six-month delay due to recent trade and tax credit policy uncertainties.
September 11, 2025
The absence of negative pricing in Italy undermines the case for co-located solar storage, the co-founder of Italian IPP Terrawatt has said.
September 11, 2025
Solar power generation in Central Europe has grown at more than twice the EU average rate since 2019, according to new figures.
Premium
September 11, 2025
PV CellTech USA: US cell manufacturer ES Foundry’s CEO Alex Zhu discusses his company's rapid ascent, strategic technology choices and the challenges of operating in a shifting policy environment.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines